New Bridgewater bridge declared a Major Project under controversial new legislation

The Bridgewater Bridge replacement will be the first project to be fast-tracked under the state government’s controversial Major Projects legislation. LATEST >>

• Bridgewater Bridge concept designs have been released alongside eight essential design requirements
• Bridgewater Bridge replacement project is ‘in chaos’, says Labor

THE Bridgewater Bridge replacement will be the first project to be fast-tracked under the state government’s controversial Major Projects legislation.

Planning assessment of the new bridge will be carried out by an expert panel appointed by the Tasmanian Planning Commission.

Planning Minister Roger Jaesnch said the move would help speed the project through the approvals process and help to create jobs at a time they were sorely needed.

Planning Minister Roger Jaensch. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

He said the declaration marked a significant step.

“This is the first project to be declared under our Major Projects legislation, which will co-ordinate the assessment processes and approvals for this vitally important piece of infrastructure,” he said.

“Now that it has been declared a Major Project, the new Bridgewater Bridge proposal will be assessed by an independent expert panel, appointed by the Tasmanian Planning Commission, along with relevant statutory regulators.”

Passed by parliament in September the legislation provides for the independent assessment of projects that are ‘major’ in terms of the significance of their impact or contribution, scale, complexity or strategic importance at a regional level.

Options for the new Bridgewater Bridge. The second option would see a new four-lane bridge built, with two lanes in each direction.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the Australian and Tasmanian Governments had committed $576 million for the new Bridgewater Bridge, as part of the Hobart City Deal.

Public feedback on a four-lane reference design closed in November and a competitive design and tender process started earlier this month.

The build contract is expected to be awarded at the end of next year.

“This is the largest single transport infrastructure project to be undertaken in Tasmania’s history and this declaration is an important step in its delivery. With the recent decision on the early contractor involvement of two leading tier one construction firms and today’s declaration, we are keeping this vital project firmly on track,” Mr Ferguson said.

“The Bridgewater Bridge is a critical part of strategic transport and freight links between Tasmania’s North and South, and its construction will create a significant number of jobs for Tasmanians and inject millions into our economy.

“Building the new bridge will also improve safety and reduce congestion for the thousands of people who travel across it, including the surrounding road networks, every day.”

BRIDGEWATER BRIDGE TIMELINE:

• 2004: Federal Coalition government pledges $100m for a new bridge, which is expected to cost up to $150m.
• 2005: Funding earmarked is diverted to a package to rescue the state’s rail network and to the future Brighton bypass.
• 2006: The bridge lifting span suffers problems and is closed to river traffic.
• 2007: Coalition again commits $100m for a new bridge while federal Labor promises a $14m upgrade to the bridge’s lifting span.
• 2010: Lifting span upgraded.
• 2011: Concept design released by Labor state government says a new bridge will cost between $600m and $800m.
• 2011-2015: Multiple lifting span failures.
• 2012: State government gets $6.4m from the federal government to buy property at Bridgewater and Granton to make way for a new bridge.
• 2015: Liberal government sets up a project team to come up with a bridge design.
• 2016: State government unveils new plan with a price tag of $535m. Over the next two years the cost grows to $576m.
• May 2018: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledges $461m towards a new bridge.
• February 2019: New bridge included in Hobart City Deal and is set to be completed in 2024.
• July 2019: Infrastructure Australia declines to list the bridge as a priority project, citing the project’s huge cost and potential “unresolved engineering issues” that could add further cost.
• September 2019: Three Greater Hobart mayors question whether the bridge replacement is the right way to go, given the cost.
• October 2019: The federal Infrastructure Department reveals the business case for the bridge is being revised.
• December 2019: Consultants Pitt and Sherry given $856,647 to conduct geotechnical work that will inform a new strategy on the bridge.
• January 2020: Government advertises a $200,000 a year position for a person to manage the bridge project.
• February 2020: The State Government awards a consultant $590,000 to look at how to make the bridge cheaper to build.
• July 2020: Concept designs for the new bridge released.
• December 2020: Bridge declared a major project under new legislation.

BID TO BEAT STATE’S ‘LUCKY DIP’ DEVELOPMENT

Sally Glaetzer

TASMANIA’S post-COVID construction blitz has fuelled calls for greater oversight of the state’s built environment, but one Tasmanian mayor says fewer councils is the solution.

The nation’s peak architecture body and Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds are among those calling for Tasmania to reintroduce a government body similar to an office of state architect.

Australian Institute of Architects Tasmanian president Shamus Mulcahy said an agency to oversee and enhance the built environment would be a “resource for government, not another layer of red tape”.

“It’s particularly important at this time when the government is punching out huge numbers of stimulus projects. We are putting a lot of money into the construction of infrastructure and public facilities and it’s important that those projects are assessed for value and future-proofing,” Mr Mulcahy said.

Every other state and territory has a state architect, providing strategic advice to government agencies and helping to plan for the future of the built environment.

CALL TO BRING BACK STATE ARCHITECT

MISSING ELEMENT IN HEIGHT LIMIT DEBATE

Australian Institute of Architects Tasmanian president Shamus Mulcahy. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

Cr Reynolds said development in Tasmania was like a “lucky dip” and greater state-level oversight was “essential”.

“As we see more buildings in inner Hobart it’s really important that we can condition-in high-quality design. At the moment it’s a bit of a lucky dip. Sometimes we get a developer and architect who are wanting to do something of high quality, and sometimes we don’t,” she said.

Architect Scott Balmforth is the newly appointed head of Hobart’s Urban Design Advisory Panel, which provides advice to the council on building design in the city.

“That sort of state architect role, I think, would be really valuable for decision makers of state and local government all through the state, now more than ever, with some of the challenges and opportunities that we’ve got ahead of us,” Mr Balmforth said.

Launceston Myor Albert van Zetten says fewer councils would help the state’s recovery plans. Picture: PATRICK GEE

However, Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said fewer – and bigger – councils was a better response to the pandemic and Tasmania’s recovery plan.

“We need to have bigger councils so we can do better planning,” Cr van Zetten said.

“Twenty-nine councils is too many. We have three or four around Launceston and we end up competing against each other and we can’t plan for the city properly.”

The government and opposition have both ruled out reintroducing the role of state architect, which was left unfilled after Peter Poulet left the role in 2012 before being officially axed by the then-Hodgman Government in 2014.